Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-07
DAILY HERALD.
SIXTEEN PAGE EDITION
A BLOODY RECORD.
How the Vigilance Committee
Checked Noted DeSperadOes.


checked Noted DexperadOes.
Hubert Howe Bancroft's latest vol
ume, popular Tribunals, l." brings
fresh before the public mind the
bloody scenes of rude life 'on the
Western frontier. Doubtless the
author would have much preferred to
record facts of different nature, but,
true to his mission as historian, the
chronicler has given the events as
they occurred. While the volume
cannot fail to be Of interest all over
the world, for the Californian in par
ticular, it will certainly be of para
mount importance. One of the events
of special interest to Los Angeles
readers is the murder of John Sanford,
a prominent citizen of this county,
December 9th, 1868, and the doings OF
the Vigilance Committee OF that Pc
riod. =.
1t appears Mr.. Sanford was on his
wav to his sheep ranch when over
taken by two pedestrians, one OF
whom, Charles Wilkins, had been
employed in the vicinity of Fort Te-
ion as sheep-herder. Sanford spoke
to wilkins and engaged his services
on the spot. Taking him in his bug
gy. he proceeded on his journey. AT
ter riding few miles Sanford stepped
from the buggy, leaving his loaded
pistol lying in the seat. Wilkins
picked up the weapon, seemingly sug-
gestive of unprecedented crime.
and while the owners back was
turned shot him dead. Then rifling
his pockets, he mounted one of the
horses and rode off. A week after
wards Wilkins was captured at Santa
Barbara and brought to Los Angeles
where he was legally tried. He was
indicted before special grand jury,
and while being brought into court for
trial before Judge Hayes, a brother OF
sanford attempted to shoot him. As
sassination failing, Wilkins pleaded
guilty, and at the conclusion OF the
trial, in which he was convicted OF
murder in the first degree, the court
house was ordered cleared and the
prisoner remanded to jail to receive
his sentence the next morning.
The people apprehensive of his
possible escape, made
rush into the court house
and taking the prisoner into their GUS
tody, carried him to Banning's corral
where they hanged him at a gateway
This was the seventh man who had
been executed within a month by the
Vigilance Committee of Los Angeles
The confession of wilkins soon after
his arrest gives indubitable proof O
his diabolical character. He said ht
had killed Sanford, thinking he nigh
have some money he did not know
that he had any, but took the chances
and secured twenty dollars. In repl,
to the question if his conscience
troubled him, he said: "No: l have
killed eight other men, ant
think no more of killing ;
man than dog" He statet
that he was an Englishmal
and that his parents were Mormons
living at Salt Lake. He was bu
seventeen years of age when he com
mitted his first murder. He was i'm
.plicated in the Mountain meadow
massacre, in which he obtained severa
thousand dollars. Afterward he kille,
one Blackburn, getting his money ant
mules. Wilkins was noted hors
thief. He stated that he and tw'
companions were pursued by a part,
from Los Angeles and San Bernardin,
two years before, who followed then
through the Canon Pass, overtOol
them and recovered forty horses. Hi,
companions were captured and sent tt
the State Prison, but wilkins escaped
to the mountains and then went in pur
suit of further prey. A series of crimes
resulted in his arrest at San Louis
Obispo, and subsequent confinement
in the state prison. He was the leade
of several in breaking from the prison
and helped to hold Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor Chellis before the guns, to pre-
vent being fired upon by the guard
He was near Yreka in 1862, with ;
Mexican who had escaped from prisol
with him, when they met two men
Carr. These men they proposed t
kill and rob. Wilkins said he woul
shoot Carr, whom they suppose'
carried the most money, for, h
boasted, 81 never miss my man.
The Mexican bungled his job badly
shooting four or five time
and then permitting the man t
escape. Nevertheless, they obtaine
$4,000 from the body of Carr, an
eyaded detection.
About six weeks before his final al
rest wilkins was at the Bella Unio
Hotel in Los Angeles, where he stol
revolver and knife and gave ther
to a young man named Woods an
told him to go out on the road an
earn his living with them rather tina
hang about the dance houses doin
nothing. Woods went but his caree
was short one; for he, with an az
conplice, Ibarra, was arrested by tn
vigilance committee and executed wit
three others, as before mentioned.